Why Muslims and Non-Muslims Cannot Reform Islam

The other day a colleague of mine named Martel Sobieskey, alerted me to YouTube video of the recent Frank Gaffney “lead” Defeat Jihad Summit. Just as in the past, Team Gaffney has no real long-term answers in winning this war. In fact this time Frank truly showed just how uninformed he is on Islam itself, and his straight out fear of naming Islam itself as the enemy. Something Zuhdi Jasser encourages him to do.

In case you did not know, just weeks before this summit Frank’s “Tiger Team” released a “new strategy” in order to defeat the jihad, and part of the plan is to follow the failed plan of empowering the “good” Muslims.

Page 9:

In particular, such a strategy requires that we direct our support, legitimating and outreach efforts to non-Jihad Muslims, and deny it to the jihadis (most especially, the Muslim Brotherhood). This is critical to empowering the former and de-legitimating the latter. It is also essential if we are to thwart the shariah-adherents’ concerted bid to dominate the non-adherent Muslim community and compel it to conform to shariah.8 The strategy can be done within a framework of religious tolerance by focusing on shariah’s supremacist and jihad elements as the enemy’s threat doctrine, thereby avoiding a frontal assault on the Muslim faith. To be clear, shariah’s adherents insist that they are one and the same and that any Muslim who believes otherwise is an apostate, which is a capital offense. Yet, surely there exists some….

We have been hearing that line of “thinking” ever since 911. How has it been working out for the West?

Defeat Jihad Summit

At approximately the 4:07 mark Frank starts absolutely gushing over Jasser as he introduces him. Gushing over a man whose “reform campaign” has no Mosque support, and there are very good reasons for that. I like to call them the three theological strikes against Islam reforming.

(In the video Jasser attempts to discount the world renowned Sahih Ahadith, which are respected by all four Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence. Hanbali, Hanafi,Maliki, and Shafi΄i. But for the sake of the article I will play along and expose his fraudulent “reform campaign” by going Koran only.)

1. Allah himself said the Koran cannot be changed

Koran 10:64: Altafsir. com

{ لَهُمُ ٱلْبُشْرَىٰ فِي ٱلْحَياةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَفِي ٱلآخِرَةِ لاَ تَبْدِيلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ ٱللَّهِ ذٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ }

Theirs are good tidings in the life of this world: in a hadīth verified by al-Hākim this has been explained as [referring to] a propitious vision which an individual might have or [a vision] which another might have of that person; and in the Hereafter: Paradise and reward. There is no changing the Words of God, no failing of His promises; that, mentioned, is the supreme triumph.

Are we supposed to believe that the Muslim community is going to hold the words of Zuhdi Jasser higher than Allahs?

2. The Seal of the Prophets

Koran 33:40:

{ مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَآ أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن رَّسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ ٱلنَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيماً }

Muhammad is not the father of any man among you: he is not Zayd’s biological father and so it is not unlawful for him to marry his [former] wife Zaynab [after him]; but, he is, the Messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophets, and so he will not have a son that is a [fully grown] man to be a prophet after him (a variant reading [for khātim al-nabiyyīna] has khātam al-nabiyyīn, as in the instrument [known as a] ‘seal’, in other words, their [prophethood] has been sealed by him). And God has knowledge of all things, among these is the fact that there will be no prophet after him, and even when the lord Jesus descends [at the end of days] he will rule according to his [Muhammad’s] Law.

Is Zuhdi the next prophet? Apparently not.

3. Islam is perfect

{ حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةُ وَٱلْدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ ٱلْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِ وَٱلْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَٱلْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَٱلْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَٱلنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَآ أَكَلَ ٱلسَّبُعُ إِلاَّ مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى ٱلنُّصُبِ وَأَنْ تَسْتَقْسِمُواْ بِٱلأَزْلاَمِ ذٰلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ ٱلْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلاَ تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَٱخْشَوْنِ ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلإِسْلٰمَ دِيناً فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لإِثْمٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ }

Forbidden to you is carrion, that is, the consumption of it, and blood, that is, what has been spilt, as mentioned in [sūrat] al-An‘ām [Q. 6:145], and the flesh of swine, and what has been hallowed to other than God, in that it was sacrificed in the name of something other than Him, and the beast strangled, to death, and the beast beaten down, to death, and the beast fallen, from a height to its death, and the beast gored, to death by another, and what beasts of prey have devoured, of such animals — except for what you have sacrificed duly, catching it while it still breathes life and then sacrificing it — and what has been sacrificed in, the name of, idols (nusub is the plural of nusāb) and that you apportion, that is, that you demand an oath or a ruling, through the divining of arrows (azlām: the plural of zalam or zulam, which is a qidh, ‘a small arrow’, without feathers or a head). There were seven of these [arrows], [marked] with flags, and they were retained by the keeper of the Ka‘ba. They would use them for abitrations and when they commanded them they obeyed, and if they prohibited them they would desist; that is wickedness, a rebellion against obedience. And on the Day of ‘Arafa in the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage, the following was revealed: Today the disbelievers have despaired of your religion, of you apostatising from it, having hoped for it [earlier], for now they perceived its strength; therefore do not fear them, but fear Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you, that is, its rulings and obligations (after this [verse] nothing about [what is] lawful or unlawful was revealed) and I have completed My favour upon you, by perfecting it [your religion], but it is also said by [effecting] their safe entry into Mecca; and I have approved, chosen, Islam for you as religion. But whoever is constrained by emptiness, by hunger, to consume some of what has been forbidden him and consumes it, not inclining purposely to sin, to an act of disobedience — then God is Forgiving, to him for what he has consumed, Merciful, to him by permitting it to him, in contrast to the one who [purposely] inclines to sin, that is, the one actively engaged in it, such as a waylayer or a criminal, for whom [such] consumption is forbidden.

How can one change “perfection”?

Those are the three strikes on why it will not reform. Now we will take a look at five reasons showing us why we as non-Muslims, will not be able to help reform Islam as Frank believes.

1. The Koran views non-Muslims as lacking in intellect.

Koran 2:171:

{ وَمَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ كَمَثَلِ ٱلَّذِي يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لاَ يَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ دُعَآءً وَنِدَآءً صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ }

The likeness, the attribute, of those who disbelieve, and the one who calls them to guidance, is as the likeness of one who shouts to that which hears nothing, save a call and a cry, only a sound, not understanding its meaning: when they listen to an admonition they are like cattle that hear the cry of their shepherd but do not understand what he is saying; they are deaf, dumb, blind — they do not comprehend, any admonition.

2. The Koran instructs Muslims not to befriend Jews and Christians.

Koran 5:51:

{ يَـٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلْيَهُودَ وَٱلنَّصَارَىٰ أَوْلِيَآءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمْ مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِي ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّالِمِينَ }

O you who believe, do not take Jews and Christians as patrons, affiliating with them or showing them affection; they are patrons of each other, being united in disbelief. Whoever amongst you affiliates with them, he is one of them, counted with them. God does not guide the folk who do wrong, by affiliating with disbelievers.

3. The Koran calls for Muslims to subjugate or wage war on Jews and Christians.

Koran 9:29:

{ قَاتِلُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَلاَ بِٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلآخِرِ وَلاَ يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَلاَ يَدِينُونَ دِينَ ٱلْحَقِّ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلْكِتَابَ حَتَّىٰ يُعْطُواْ ٱلْجِزْيَةَ عَن يَدٍ وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ }

Fight those who do not believe in God, nor in the Last Day, for, otherwise, they would have believed in the Prophet (s), and who do not forbid what God and His Messenger have forbidden, such as wine, nor do they practise the religion of truth, the firm one, the one that abrogated other religions, namely, the religion of Islam — from among of those who (min, ‘from’, explains [the previous] alladhīna, ‘those who’) have been given the Scripture, namely, the Jews and the Christians, until they pay the jizya tribute, the annual tax imposed them, readily (‘an yadin is a circumstantial qualifier, meaning, ‘compliantly’, or ‘by their own hands’, not delegating it [to others to pay]), being subdued, [being made] submissive and compliant to the authority of Islam.

4. The Koran calls for very strict punishment on those who fight against Allah, Mohammad, and Muslims. Trying to change what Islam is certainly fighting Allah.

Koran 5:33:

{ إِنَّمَا جَزَآءُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي ٱلأَرْضِ فَسَاداً أَن يُقَتَّلُوۤاْ أَوْ يُصَلَّبُوۤاْ أَوْ تُقَطَّعَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُم مِّنْ خِلافٍ أَوْ يُنفَوْاْ مِنَ ٱلأَرْضِ ذٰلِكَ لَهُمْ خِزْيٌ فِي ٱلدُّنْيَا وَلَهُمْ فِي ٱلآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ }

The following was revealed when the ‘Arniyyūn came to Medina suffering from some illness, and the Prophet (s) gave them permission to go and drink from the camels’ urine and milk. Once they felt well they slew the Prophet’s shepherd and stole the herd of camels: Truly the only requital of those who fight against God and His Messenger, by fighting against Muslims, and hasten about the earth to do corruption there, by waylaying, is that they shall be slaughtered, or crucified, or have their hands and feet cut off on opposite sides, that is, their right hands and left feet, or be banished from the land (the aw, ‘or’, is [used] to indicate the [separate] application of [each of] the cases [listed]; thus, death is for those that have only killed; crucifixion is for those that have killed and stolen property; the cutting off [of limbs on opposite sides] is for those that have stolen property but have not killed; while banishment is for those that pose a threat — this was stated by Ibn ‘Abbās and is the opinion of al-Shāfi‘ī; the more sound of his [al-Shāfi‘ī’s] two opinions is that crucifixion should be for three days after [the] death [of the killer], or, it is also said, shortly before [he is killed]; with banishment are included similar punishments, such as imprisonment and the like). That, mentioned requital, is a degradation, a humiliation, for them in this world; and in the Hereafter theirs will be a great chastisement, namely, the chastisement of the Fire.

5. The Koran banishes non-Muslims to a severe eternal punishment.

Koran 4:56:

{ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِآيَٰتِنَا سَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِمْ نَاراً كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُمْ بَدَّلْنَٰهُمْ جُلُوداً غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُواْ ٱلْعَذَابَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً }

Surely those who disbelieve in Our signs — We shall expose them, We shall admit them, to a Fire, wherein they shall burn; as often as their skins are consumed, burnt, We shall replace them with other skins, restoring them to their initial unburnt state, that they may taste the chastisement, that they may suffer its severity. Surely God is ever Mighty, nothing being beyond His power, Wise, in His creation.

So why would the Muslim community follow those who are lacking in intellect, those they were warned not to befriend, those they are supposed to subjugate, those who are fighting Allah, and those who are damned for an eternity in hell, in an effort to change what Islam is? They wouldn’t, and thinking so is nothing more than uneducated wishful thinking. Please wake up Frank, a non-Muslim attempting to help reform Islam, is the equivalent of a Jew attempting to help reform Nazism. It is not happening!